By Jennie Jarvis Have you ever had a period of time where the very idea of writing stresses you out? You remember what writing is, don’t you? That thing you used to do, long ago, that gave you so much joy? But now, when you think about doing it, all you feel is guilty and […]

by Jennie Jarvis When sitting down to write a story, it’s so easy to get caught up in “bullet point” thinking: This happens, then this happens, then this happens. But, if you don’t pay attention to the transitions – how you get from point to point – then a reader or viewer can feel like […]

by Jennie Jarvis Summer is upon us, and for film lovers, that means one thing – Summer Movie Blockbusters! At the time of writing this, Jurassic World already made enough money on its opening day to cover its entire budget (it made an estimated $181-$200 million on Friday alone, and the film only cost $150 […]

By Jennie Jarvis I’ve been teaching writing – either via workshops or in a professional institution like at a University – for over 10 years. While my students and the kinds of writing I teach have changed, one thing has always remained the same: I always get asked the same question. How can I support […]

By Jennie Jarvis Working in Academia the past six years has been quite a change from the hectic life of working on set. While life in the film industry began at 4am and often didn’t end until 11pm, being a professor is a much less sleep-deprived occupation. Life is a lot slower (read: both more […]

By Jennie Jarvis I don’t know about anyone else, but when I finished a major writing project – whether it be a screenplay or a novel – I fall into a deep depression. Unlike Brad, who wrote earlier this month about having multiple projects going, I can’t do that. I’m a one project at a […]

By Jennie Jarvis If you’ve worked in academia in any capacity, then you’ve probably seen some form of this image: It’s called the Learning Pyramid, and it’s supposed to be a pictorial representation of how students tend to best remember the information that they are taught. As you can see, students tend to retain […]

by Jennie Jarvis Recently, I had a chance to view a sneak preview of the upcoming Disney movie Saving Mr. Banks. In this film, the “Man Behind the Mouse” – Walt Disney himself (Tom Hanks) – fights to win the rights to make Mary Poppins into a movie musical. Standing in his way is Mrs. […]

by Jennie Jarvis In his book Write Screenplays That Sell The Ackerman Way, Hal Ackerman argues that Theme is the enemy of a screenwriter. “Theme leads to predictability,” he states, and while I don’t know if I would accept this statement as a blanket rule for all film writing, I understand where he is going […]

By Jennie Jarvis More than any other form of writing, I believe that screenwriters, especially those writing for mainstream and not independent movies, have the most difficult time working within the constraints of their craft. I’m sure that haiku or Twitter fiction writers would disagree with me, but even with their restrictions, I don’t think […]